Kindred Spirits
by Shade the Hero
Summary: They waged war. Not as enemies but as friends. Both victims of a tragic fate, As mentor and pupil they fought to survive, and together brought down ShinRa. This is their story. AU, Rating may go up due to increased violence.
1. On The Run

_I know, I know. Updates are long overdue. And while you deserve them ASAP I just haven't been able to dig myself out of this horrible writer's block long enough to write a decent update for you. However, that hasn't stopped my writing muse from playing around with ideas. I've got two stories sitting on my computer. One's not ready, but this one is. It's different from my normal stories and while a bit similar to "Present From The Past" as it shares similar themes (mainly the fugitive role), it is completely different. AU. Sorry Yaoi fans, it's not going to happen this time. _

_Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square Enix_

* * *

**Kindred Spirits  
**

_Chapter One  
_

A strong wind whipped through the open field causing the knee-high grass to sway and dance. Bodies littered the area, fallen assassins whose blood now stained the ground. Storm clouds thundered overhead as two men rested on a small hill, catching their breath from their most recent battle.

The taller one, a man with long silver hair nodded towards the sky. "Rain's on its way, and so are their reinforcements."

The younger, a blonde who stood about a foot shorter than his friend followed the silverette's gaze. "At least we'll stay cool this time."

The older one smirked, "I'm relieved they're not insulting us this time with meager numbers. It looks like a decent size battalion." He raised his famously long katana as he anticipated the start of the battle. "You ready?"

The blonde looked up at him. His eyes giving the General all the answer he needed.

The front lines sported long-range firepower which they fired at the two as soon as they got within range. The two leapt off the hill as red sparks pelted it like rain, which followed shortly after. The rain was refreshing and just what the younger warrior needed. They didn't feel like waiting for the squad to come to them, knowing they would prefer to stay clear. With a nod from the older soldier they both charged the squad that consisted of two hundred men.

"Whoever kills the most doesn't have to buy dinner." The Silverette proclaimed as he struck down three men with one swipe of his sword.

The blonde chuckled a bit as he struck down two with his own. "You're on."

Despite the outstanding warrants and the large bounty on their heads the younger soldier couldn't help but enjoy this battle. Normally so quiet and serious, fighting along-side his mentor always put him in a good mood. He was more than his mentor. General Sephiroth was his hero. Cloud had looked up to him even before he joined SOLDIER. Sephiroth was the greatest swordsman that ever lived.

Sephiroth was holding his own with ease, in fact, he almost seemed a bit bored. "Can't ShinRa send better fighters than these? Don't they trust their soldiers anymore?"

Cloud swung his buster sword, taking out another unlucky soul. "Can you blame them? After their best kills the entire science wing and most of the security?"

"You're no more innocent than I am, Strife." Sephiroth huffed in response as a man's head became severed and flew through the air, courtesy of Sephiroth's sword. One of the other men caught the head and screamed like a girl. The man next to him puked.

It was true and Cloud wouldn't deny it, however he also felt no guilt. ShinRa had been exposed as a corrupt and power-hungry group that took advantage of everything and everyone around them. Cloud and Sephiroth were just two more victims added to the list. But they had done something different. Something that no one else before them had dared to do. Something that made them a threat to ShinRa and made them worthy to be hunted down by everything that the company could throw at them.

Sephiroth found himself surrounded by at least a dozen men. They circled him, thinking they had an opening and aimed their weapons. Surely the soldier wouldn't be able to deflect them all. They were wrong. Sephiroth couldn't hide a small smile as he glared at one of the men.

"Pathetic."

He spun on his heel, swinging his sword out with such speed it seemed like a blur, from the air it would've appeared to look like a fan's blade without the protective cage. Blood filled the air and mixed with the falling rain as the sword cut down all in its path. Three of the men were cut clear in half while others fell back and bled to death from their middle. When Sephiroth stopped he took a moment to admire his work. nodding he sheathed his blade, seeing that all the infantrymen around him were dead. He looked over to see his pupil's fight.

Cloud was faring almost as well as his mentor was, with one minor difference. His sword didn't cut clean through, it literally ripped his opponents apart. The attackers were no match for the large buster sword. One man fired his gun only for the bullet to bounce off the metal, killing the infantryman that was aiming at Cloud from behind. Cloud came in for the counter-strike before man could reload. The blonde struck, cutting through the man's torso and breaking several ribs which flew out from the blow.

He lowered his sword, noticing that he was out of opponents to fight. In a short time, the seemingly large army was gone.

"Need backup! Repeat! Need backup! They're too strong! They killed over two hundred and are still alive! Come in!"

Cloud turned to see one lone infantryman kneeling on the ground next to a portable radio. He was about to go over and knock him out when a long silver sword came sailing through the air and impaled the man through the neck, hitting his jugular and silencing him. He clutched his neck and dropped the phone, trying hopelessly to put pressure on his wound which was now squirting blood. A voice crackled over the radio, shouting something. The man gurgled as blood filled his mouth. "S-s-send the...t-turks." He gasped and was dead before he hit the ground.

The blonde stood there, with his eyes trained on the man as Sephiroth went to retrieve his sword. The general wiped his blade on the dead man's uniform as he sensed his pupil's gaze now on him. "I know what you're thinking, but we couldn't let him live. Remember, this is war and we're fighting for our lives. Lives that were stolen from us and we have to do whatever we can to get them back."

Cloud said nothing, but slowly nodded. Sephiroth knew he still didn't like it and in a way, he envied the younger man. While working for ShinRa, Sephiroth had been ordered to do some pretty horrendous things, which included killing the innocent and the unarmed. He didn't like it either, but he had gotten used to it. Although Cloud was a second-class SOLDIER he had yet been ordered to do something so evil. Sephiroth knew that if things had been different and they hadn't been put into that situation his pupil would have become one of the greatest SOLDIERs that ever lived, second only to himself. No, he was kidding himself. With Cloud's high morals and honor code, the humble country boy would have surpassed his mentor. Sephiroth would've been okay with that. He considered Cloud a kindred spirit after all.

Sephiroth approached his pupil and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, let's put some distance between us and the next wave. We could both use a rest."

That was a lie. Sephiroth didn't need to rest yet, he could have taken the next two hundred on his own, but despite how well Cloud was holding up, Sephiroth didn't want to push him too far. Cloud hadn't said much since they made their escape and when he did, his mood seemed to be false. Sephiroth could tell the positive attitude was just for show, but he couldn't tell what was really underneath.

The two kept going until they found an old abandoned farm-house. The house itself was gone. Age and the elements had long turned the wood rotten and collapsed, but the small shed stood well enough and would do for the night. Sephiroth didn't want a fire, stating how they could use a decent night's sleep for once. The second-class agreed and headed out into what was left of the farm's vegetable field to see if anything eatable still grew. He returned with an armful of onions.

"This was the only decent thing I could find," he stated as closed the shed door behind him, leaving it open just a crack to let light in. Not that it mattered. Their mako-enhanced eye-sight made it easy enough to see, it was just out of habit.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "Onions."

"There were some potatoes, but I didn't trust them. There was a rat carcass covered in ants next to it."

"Good enough reason," The general replied as he took one of the onions and began to peel it.

Cloud turned to scan the outside to make sure they were still clear.

"Agh!" The blonde snapped his head back over to the general. Sephiroth was rubbing at his eyes.

"What happened?" asked Cloud.

"It stings!" replied the General as his right eye watered. He had taken a bite into the vegetable only for the juice to squirt into his face.

Cloud tried to suppress a laugh, "You've never eaten a raw onion before, have you?"

"No," he replied, being careful with his second bite.

Satisfied that there was no one coming yet, Cloud sat down and chose one for himself. Peeling back the outer layers he bit into it with ease. Sephiroth resisted the urge to roll his eyes. His pupil could be such a show off. They ate the rest of their meal in silence.

Hours went by uneventfully and the rain clouds eventually cleared, revealing a night sky with the moon half full. Stars dotted the sky as the two tried to get some sleep. Sephiroth chose to take first watch. He didn't need to look outside for oncoming threats. With his enhanced senses he could hear them coming from yards away. Instead he focused on his pupil. He knew that the life of a fugitive was demanding and while Cloud had been holding his own quite well, Sephiroth was concerned about his mental state. They still hadn't talked about what happened during the incident in Hojo's lab.

Normally calm, and restrained, Sephiroth had lost control of his anger with what happened. They had both suffered a lot, but Sephiroth couldn't help but worry when his pupil had been able to take such an action and not seemed to be affected. The second-class acted like it had never happened. That was what worried the General most. The next time they had a chance to take a decent rest, he was going to confront him about it.

* * *

_So, not your typical Cloud and Sephiroth story. What did Hojo do to them this time? Fav and/or follow if you liked and let me know what you think of it in a review, even if you thought it stinks, at least then I know to make it better. :)_


	2. A Mentor's Concern

_I wanted to thank those who left a review for the previous chapter. Especially for one particular person. they gave me some great insight on how to improve the story and I plan to do so when I have more time to spend going through and fixing it. Sorry this update has taken a while, but my personal life is demanding a lot more of my time lately. _

* * *

_Chapter Two_

Sephiroth awoke to the sounds that came from outside. A few hours before dawn Cloud had taken over watch. Sephiroth told him to go back to sleep, but despite being a General - well, ex-General - Cloud had reminded him that he was still human and needed rest. Stubborn kid. In a rare moment that was out of character, the First-Class SOLDIER with the iron will gave in and allowed himself to rest. That had been a mistake.

It became apparent when he looked around only to notice his pupil was no where to be seen, but the silverette could still hear him. It wasn't a pleasant sound and Sephiroth wondered if the onions had been a good idea. He felt no ill effects from the previous evening's meal. The same couldn't be said for Cloud. This hadn't been the first time. Sephiroth counted two other incidents when the Second would wander off on his own, only to return a short time later looking a few shades paler. Sephiroth never brought it up, but he wondered just what exactly that twisted scientist had done to his subordinate.

Cloud quietly slid the door open, trying not to wake his mentor when he saw two green eyes glowing in the dark. _"So much for stealth."_

"Not feeling well?" Sephiroth's voice was calm, but Cloud knew him well enough to know an order to explain himself when he heard it.

"Rotten onion."

Sephiroth could tell he was lying - He could smell the foul stench that lingered from the ejected contents of the blonde's stomach and could detect the traces of mako, but he'd leave it alone for now. They had to get moving. No doubt someone had received that radio call and Sephiroth had picked up the man's last word. The name of Shinra's other elite group. Next to SOLDIER they were the best and no one could outrun them for long. _Turks._

Sephiroth stood up and headed for the door. Cloud followed behind and the two set off, across the field and disappeared into the treeline of the nearby woods.

_. . ._

Angeal was sitting at his new desk. He hated it. It had been almost a week since the General had turned traitor and fled taking an unconscious cadet with him. The President himself called Angeal into his office the next day and promoted him as the new general, without so much as consulting director Lazard first, much to the director's annoyance. He couldn't disagree though, nor would he have chosen anyone else to fill in the spot. With the promotion came a downside. Papers were constantly stacked high on his desk and new files were arriving by the hour, or at least it seemed that way. Angeal had lost track after the fifth stack. Then again, he wasn't even attempting to catch up.

The betrayal had shocked everyone, rookie and seasoned alike. General Sephiroth was a legend and for him to turn like that,...it was unthinkable. Countless rumors spread through the cadets about Sephiroth over the years, none of them however placed him as a traitor. A muffled whine caught the new general's attention as he peered over the mountain of paperwork towards the couch. His pupil; a First-Class with spiky black hair was sprawled out on the furniture and sulking. Obviously the recent events had been hard on him too.

"Stop moping pup, there's nothing that can be done about it now."

Said pup sat up and glared at him. "How can you say that? They were our friends!"

A tired sigh escaped the older man, "Zack, friend or not, he can't atone for what he's done. What they've both done. Murder cannot go unpunished no matter who the victim was."

"Do you hear yourself?" asked Zack who was unable to hold back his anger. "Have you heard the rumors about what goes on down there? They say he was a monster in his former life. Besides, we don't know the whole story."

"Exactly," Angeal cut him off as he straightened out a small pile and set it to the side. "We don't know the full story, but it's not our place to decide if it was self-defense or not. Sephiroth was never easy to read. He could have been hiding his true intentions from us all along. Hojo was the head of the science department. The only one with higher power is the President himself. Not even a SOLDIER can overrule him except for a First."

"But, Seph _is_ a First," retorted Zack.

"_Was _a First," Angeal corrected, "No rank justifies murder. The same goes for the cadet traveling with him."

Zack's hands clenched into fists. "Sephiroth may be hard to read and a real stick in the mud, but there's no way Cloud would kill someone without reason. If he had any part in it, it was self-defense. I'd bet my life on that."

Angeal felt sympathy for his pupil. Ever since the blonde newbie had begun his training to become a soldier Zack had taken a shine to him. That bond only grew when Zack had found the kid beaten and unconscious in a locker near the cadet training room. Zack had made it his personal mission to watch out for the kid and pretty much took him under his wing. Zack had taught him the proper way to fight and noting that the kid's skills were more suited to speed than strength let the kid form his own fighting style rather than standard SOLDIER training.

It didn't seem all that long ago now. It was strange that no matter how Angeal thought about it, everything changed when the blonde cadet entered the picture. He didn't get a chance to dwell on it when Reno entered the office.

"Yo," he greeted before taking in the room's atmosphere. "Sheesh, you'd find more cheer at a funeral. What's got you two so down?"

"Take a wild guess," Zack replied sarcastically. Reno blinked in surprise when his friend's words lacked their cheerful friendliness that was always present.

"Hey, come on. I mean, yeah it was a big shock, but ya can't keep moping about it. Being all depressed won't change what happened, yo, and it's not like we can turn back time."

"If only I could. I never would have let Cloud go down to the labs. Everyone knows it's not a safe place for cadets!" Zack covered his eyes with his arm while gritting his teeth.

"Those are just rumors, Zack. It was started by the thirds to keep the lesser classes from wandering where they shouldn't." Angeal had taken a break from his paperwork for the third time in the past fifteen minutes to join the conversation and rest his sore writing hand.

He looked up at the red-head who had a file tucked under his arm. "What do you have there?"

Reno looked down at the file before holding it out for them to see. "You're new assignment. It seems two hostile fugitives were spotted some eighty miles away from hear. A whole battalion was sent after them and they left no one alive."

This got the attention of both SOLDIERs. "Was it Seph and Spiky?!" Zack asked as he jolted up.

"Uh..." Reno blinked, unsure of what he meant. He looked to Angeal who seemed to have read Reno's mind.

"He means General Sephiroth and Cadet Strife."

Reno gave the new general a look, but tried to stay polite, though it wasn't easy. "I know what he means, and yes, I'd say it'd be a safe guess to assume it was them, unless you know of two other turncoats running around with that much strength?"

Angeal pinched the bridge of his nose before looking over to his pupil. "C'mon Zack, let's go."

Zack however, felt sick to his stomach. "Why? Why do we have to do it? I don't want to hunt down my best friend, Angeal."

The general placed a hand on his shoulder. "Neither do I, Don't forget Sephiroth is my friend. But, if we confront them we may get some answers. I really hope this is just a big misunderstanding, but you have to prepare yourself for the possibility that your friend may have turned traitor."

"Pfft, may have?" added Reno, but he shut up when Angeal glared at him.

Zack sighed and nodded to his mentor.

_. . ._

It was near sunset by the time the two fugitives reached the edge of the woods and decided to stop for a short rest. Sephiroth had noticed his companion had been starting to slow. The area seemed clear for the time being so he decided to try and find out what had happened. The General was still in the dark as to how this whole nightmare got started.

"Strife,"

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember how you ended up in Hojo's lab?"

Cloud was a bit surprised that the general would choose now of all times to ask him. He wasn't prepared to answer yet, but he didn't know when they'd get another chance.

"Two Third Class SOLDIERs cornered me in the stairwell," he started. "They had been cadets at the same time I was, but they passed their first exam. I was trying for a second time and they tried to convince me to drop out."

"And what did you tell them?" Sephiroth never was fond of people who used their rank to get what they wanted. It was something he assumed that had rubbed off on him because of his friendship with Angeal.

"I refused," Cloud replied. "After that they became more determined to convince me to make the 'smart choice'."

Sephiroth huffed at that, but let his pupil continue.

"I tried to get away, knowing I couldn't beat them when they had mako and I didn't. I remember getting thrown over the rail and hitting several things on my way down. The next thing I knew I was on the floor and it was hard to move. I think some bones were broken."

Sephiroth noticed the blonde's heart rate increased as he revealed the next part.

"I saw boots in front of me, someone with white pants was looking down on me. They asked what a cadet could possibly doing this far down. He then said something about needing new fodder and that I would do nicely. I blacked out after that."

Sephiroth placed a hand on Cloud's shoulder. "That's enough. Tell me, could you identify the SOLDIERs if you saw them again?"

Cloud nodded and flinched when he saw the look in Sephiroth's eyes.

"Good."


	3. Texting

_This chapter isn't that long, but the next one will make up for it. I know there are a few things that are confusing, but everything will be revealed in future chapters. There is a method to my madness. _

* * *

_Chapter Three_

First Class SOLDIER Commander Genesis Rhapsodos looked around what was left of the late Professor Hojo's lab. The place had been cleared of the bloody bodies and the mess from the tanks had been cleaned up, however there was still an investigation to be had and Director Lazard wanted to make sure the information was shared equally between Turks and SOLDEIRs alike.

Bending over, Genesis picked up a piece of paper that was laying face down only to shake his head in disgust. "Yuck, just what kind sick projects was this freak working on down here? I've seen monsters that didn't look this gruesome."

He took out his PHS and tried to call Angeal. He waited, but there was no answer. He glared at the device until it vibrated in his hand, notifying him that he had a new message. He noticed that it was from Angeal.

_In a chopper, unable to hear calls. What is it?_

Genesis hated texting, but if it was the only way to get through then so be it.

_Hojo was in to some pretty sick shit. Perhaps Sephiroth and his little pet did us a favor._

He kept looking around the room while he waited for a reply. Walking past a shattered glass tube. Glass crinkled under his boots as he walked through the mess. He stopped to look at the large blood stain on the floor. It was between the flat steel table and the computer. Genesis had already ordered for the security tapes to be looked at, but there was a lot of footage to go through, not to mention there had been a filter put in place to keep some of the doctor's actions secret. It was well known that Hojo could be quite possessive and paranoid about his work. Genesis' PHS buzzed again and he read the new message.

_I knew Hojo was no good! What'd he do to Cloud? Did he do something to Seph too? Did he inject them with something? What have you found?!_

Gen wrinkled his nose in disgust. That message had to have come from the puppy. Angeal had his odd moments, but he never acted like that. A smirk slowly appeared on Gen's face as he replied:

_Angeal, tell the pup to worry about his boyfriend in his spare time. There's a lot of evidence and papers to look through and the techno geeks are still going through the footage. It may take some time to sort everything._

Genesis just barely held back a chuckle as he hit send. He tried to picture the look on the puppy's face when he read it. He didn't have to wait long before another message was sent, followed twenty seconds later by a second one.

_He is NOT my boyfriend! I'm just worried and I know he's innocent!_

_Understood, Let me know the minute you find anything._

Genesis huffed with amusement as he went back to sifting through what was left of the mad man's lab.

There was one big problem with this whole investigation. Something that only the elusive and cryptic footage would be able to reveal and until it did they had no idea who the real murderer was. Genesis knew Sephiroth could kill a person with little to no effort without so much as batting an eye, but what reason would he have to kill Hojo; the head of the science department and the one who was responsible for their mako enhancements? He knew the man for years and while he was never really fond of him, really didn't have a strong enough motive for murder.

Was it the cadet then? But all of the kid's records showed that he didn't have what it takes to kill. He was timid, shy, weak, almost never got into trouble, and was considered the runt of the group. He didn't have a chance of getting into SOLDIER and yet he was in the lab. Why? Had he snuck in and tried to inject mako to make himself stronger? Hoping that mako alone would give him what it took? Perhaps the kid had injected himself, put in the wrong amount and went crazy.

Genesis had to stop letting his mind run wild on him. There was no solid evidence to back up either theory. He hated waiting but after two hours of going through useless file after useless file it all came down to the video footage.


	4. What It Means To Be SOLDIER

_This was the reason why Chapter three was shorter, because if I hadn't shortened it, it may have been almost 4,000 words long. I don't know about you guys, but I like to keep my chapters mostly between 2,000-3,500 words. Also, please note that I know next to nothing about the critters from the FF7 series, so some of these monsters are completely made up, then again, I've never actually played the game. I'm hoping that will change in the future. :)  
_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter Four_

Zack packed a few things into his duffel bag which he would be taking with him on the mission. His orders were to go after two fugitives and bring them back alive if possible. Zack huffed at the very idea. Did they really think he would actually kill either of those two? He looked up to Sephiroth and Spiky was his best friend. To heck with what the higher ups said. His honor had given him new orders. To find them and prove them innocent. Zack never did like Hojo, of course no one liked him, but there was just something about him that creeped him out. He secretly saw the scientist's death more as a blessing. So they'd have to have some other shrub try and measure up to Hojo's smarts. Zack wouldn't deny that the guy wasn't smart, but Hojo was a dangerous kind of smart, the type of smart that lacked any human emotion or compassion. He was a person who saw the world as his own personal playground to experiment with, and he wouldn't be surprised if the doctor had experimented on a few humans just to satisfy his curiosity.

The duffel bag slid from Zack's hands and dropped to the floor as his eyes widened.

"Oh Gaia! He didn't!"

Zack had to take a few deep, calming breaths. _"Easy Zack, you're just overreacting. Hojo was a crazy bastard, but he wouldn't experiment on an innocent cadet."_

He desperately wanted to believe that was true, but this was Hojo. To him science had no limits. All Zack could do was hope for the best. That was something he was good at. All he had to do was find Cloud and Sephiroth, convince them not to run, get the truth from them, prove their innocence and clear up this whole mess. With a smile and an extra pep in his step, Zack marched out of his apartment and down the hall to meet up with the others.

Angeal was already waiting and it took another ten minutes before Reno arrived with his partner Rude in tow. "I still think we need an army as back up," replied the Turk, adjusting his sunglasses.

"They already sent an army and every one of 'em's pushin' up daisies," Reno replied rolling his eyes.

Angeal and Zack kept quiet for most of the chopper ride. Zack was trying to figure out all of the reasons why this whole mess had started in the first place.

"Don't over think what happened," Angeal told him.

It was scary how well he knew his pupil. Unfortunately it didn't help Zack feel any better. He was about to reply when Angeal's PHS went off. It was a call, but there was no way he'd be able to hear the person over the noise of the chopper blades overhead. He sent a message instead. Zack watched his mentor type away only to hit send a second later.

"What's up?" he asked.

"That call was from Gen, maybe he's found something."

"Already?" asked Zack, a bit surprised. The incident may have happened about four days ago, but Genesis had only arrived back that morning.

Angeal received a new message and read it aloud.

"He says, Hojo was in to some pretty sick things. Perhaps Sephiroth and his little pet did us a favor."

Zack instantly beamed into a huge grin. "I knew it!" He grabbed the PHS out of Angeal's hands and started typing his own reply while also asking it out loud.

"I knew Hojo was no good! What'd he do to Cloud? Did he do something to Seph too? Did he inject them with something? What have you found?!"

It was all Angeal could do, not to smack his pupil upside the head. A high-pitch squeak of dismay escaped Zack's throat in utter shock, causing Angeal to raise an eye brow. Genesis must have replied. "What'd he say?"

Zack typed in something and then hit send before handing it back to Angeal for him to read the messages over. Once Angeal had replied he put the PHS away and looked back over at his pupil.

"You know, you walked right into that one," He stated, referring to the boyfriend remark. "You're too close to that kid."

Zack gave his mentor the most intense 'kicked-puppy' look he could muster. "But, I'm the only friend he's got. I found him trapped in that tiny locker, he was beaten and bloody. What was I suppose to do? Just walk away? I know cadets like to mess with those who become friends with SOLDIERs, but I couldn't turn my back on him. I didn't then and I won't now and nothing you say will change my mind. If there's the slightest chance that I can save him then I'll do it. I don't care if I get kicked out of SOLDIER, at least I'll still have my honor!"

It was impossible for Angeal not to be proud of Zack at that moment. Even if he had mixed loyalties, his heart was always in the right place. He just hoped his head would make the right decisions.

The rest of the ride went by silently. Reno was happy to land when they had finally arrived on the open field. It didn't take the group long to know they were on the right track. The bodies of the dead may have long since gone to the lifestream, but the smell of death still hung in the air and blood still stained the ground.

Zack, Reno and Rude were a bit surprised, though the Turks hid it far better than the puppy. Angeal walked through the battle field, studying the ground and the blood patterns. When he finished scanning one area he moved on to the other. With a nod he headed back over to the rest of the group.

"Over to the left was where Sephiroth fought."

"And just how do you figure that?" asked Reno.

"The cuts were cleaner," The General replied. "Sephiroth's blade is indescribably sharp and he is an extremely skilled fighter. All of his cuts are clean and the blood patterns in the ground prove that those to fell in that area could only have been brought down by Masamune."

"Okay," Reno replied, "So, what about over there? There's a lot more blood. You don't expect me to believe some runty little cadet could do all of that."

Zack instantly paled at the thought as Angeal folded his arms. "The blade is different. I can only guess it was the cadet. Though, he was using a much bigger sword and the cuts were more like slashes. He didn't just kill them, they were ripped apart, but I suspect it was due to the sheer force of the blade he was using. I don't think he's fully mastered it yet."

As Angeal was explaining, he didn't fail to notice how uneasy Zack was becoming. The puppy looked like he was about to lose his lunch. The General thought it best to get away from this place. "They headed for the forest after the battle."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Rude, who spoke up for the first time this trip.

"Because it offers the best cover from the air and better places to hide and rest. I imagine the cadet may have become fatigued at some point."

Reno turned and headed back to the chopper. "The forest it is, yo. Let's get goin'!"

Zack followed, eager to get away from the battle field and away from the hill where he imagined his friend fighting for his life. Angeal just shook his head as he followed after his pupil and Rude brought up the rear.

_. . ._

The forest was bigger than Sephiroth thought it originally was. This was a good thing. It meant better cover from any air attack, however that meant there were plenty of monsters lurking in the area. With his pupil in a weakened state, the ex-General didn't want to risk the kid getting poisoned or sustain any other injuries. He needed all of his strength to fight off whatever was making him ill. Mako was one of them he knew for sure, but what else?

There was a small cave that was concealed in a thicket that Sephiroth had found. Upon closer look it appeared to have once been a creature's den. Said creature was long gone, but it was well-hidden and had a thick tree growing over head, providing excellent cover.

Just as they neared the entrance Cloud doubled over in pain before falling to his knees with one hand clutching the loose soil while his other arm pressed against his stomach. He began coughing violently and Sephiroth became alarmed when the blonde coughed up a mix of blood and vomit, but what was alarming was that it was faintly glowing.

The ex-General went to help the younger warrior, but Cloud brushed his arm away. "I'm fine." He coughed.

Sephiroth was tired of hearing that. "No, you're not. Forget your pride and let me help."

Cloud glared at the thought, but at the moment he was too weak to stop his superior from helping him inside the den.

A light rain had begun to fall by the time they had settled inside, Sephiroth having leaned his pupil against the rear of the den, which was the dryest part. They sat in silence for a while. Just listening to the falling rain and trying to listen for any approaching footsteps.

Sephiroth glanced back at Cloud every now and then. It was getting on the blonde's nerves. Finally he couldn't take it anymore. "Would you stop already? Why are you so worried?"

Sephiroth was ready with an answer, "Why are you trying to hide your condition? You don't have to go through this alone. We're both on the run if you hadn't noticed."

"I'm blonde, not stupid," Cloud retorted. "My condition is my own fault and I'm tired of being so weak. I've been weak all of my life and I'm sick of it. Sick of the sympathy and sick of the lack of respect. If this makes me stronger, than so be it."

Sephiroth kept his glance solely on Cloud now. "And what if it kills you? How will you prove your strength then?"

Cloud sighed, knowing full well that was a very real possibility and a more likely chance. "Then at least I'll know I tried. I'd rather go down fighting then wimpering in shame like a pathetic coward."

Sephiroth fully understood the kid's point, but this was not the time for him to witness the rise of another Sephiroth. The kid needed something positive to focus on and Sephiroth would never admit it, but he wished Zack was here to cheer the kid up. Sephiroth knew of their friendship prior to finding him in the lab, that's part of what had infuriated Sephiroth so much, aside from the fact that a human being was being treated in such a way.

"Cloud, tell me. You wanted to be a SOLDIER, didn't you? More than anything?"

A flicker of pain and regret shown in the blonde's blue eyes. "Doesn't really matter now.

"Answer the question."

Knowing the silverette wouldn't drop the subject until his question was answered, Cloud nodded. "Yeah. My dream was to become First Class."

Sephiroth nodded and relaxed slightly. "In SOLDIER we watch out for each other. Support them in battle, pull them from danger if they become injured, and protect them just as they would protect us. Whether its sickness or physical ailment, you're injured and so it falls on me to make sure you survive."

Cloud rolled his eyes, but Sephiroth continued. "So, if you die it's not your fault. It's mine."

When it seemed the kid still wasn't convinced Sephiroth decided not to hold back any longer. "Tell me Cloud, am I still your hero?"

The blonde blinked at him, "W-where did you hear that?"

A small smirk tugged at the ex-General's lips. "Who else but Zachary Fair?"

Cloud huffed at the mention of his friend. "Yeah, as embarrassing as sounds, I respect you."

Sephiroth smiled, "Then let me help you. You're not the only one whose guilty. We broke out of that lab together and I have no intention of leaving you behind. Like it or not Strife, you're stuck with me."

Cloud gave in and smirked before he closed his eyes and his breathing became labored once more. Sephiroth turned to look out at their surroundings. The kid needed medical help and fast. Sephiroth didn't have any materia on him. He would have given almost anything for a cure spell.

_. . ._

As the chopper continued its path overhead Rude pointed to something and Reno brought the chopper down for a landing. The group made its way out and came upon what was left of the old farm.

"This place has seen better days," The red-headed Turk commented as he peered around the rotted wooden beam that was one of the supports for the house and one of the last pieces still standing.

Angeal and Rude found a small shed and kept their weapons at the ready as they opened the door. The room was small, but empty. They relaxed a little until Rude saw a flicker of movement. He peered in a little closer until Angeal pulled him back. "Watch out!"

A large rat, about the size of a Great Dane launched itself at them. Its fangs were dripping with saliva as it hissed at them. "A Scavenger Rat, and a big one. They only go after sick and injured creatures."

The rat hissed again, sizing up its foes before it sniffed in the air and turned its attention to Reno. The turk became uneasy before he got annoyed. "Hey, how come it thinks I'm the weak one around here, yo? Just because I don't have shades or fancy mako? These goggles are cool to!"

He didn't have time to carry his rant any further as the rodent charged him. Angeal would have stepped in, but Rude placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. "He can handle himself."

Indeed as th rat lept at the red-head Reno smirked a mischievous grin as he raised his Electric metal rod and struck out at the Rat. The beast shrieked in agony before it crumpled to the ground. Its fur still sizzling. He made sure it was dead before looking back up at the other two and raised a hand with a cheerful grin.

"Angeal!"

The General turned toward the sound of his pupil's call from over by the back of the crumbled farm-house. Zack looked disgusted, but also worried. "What do you make of this?"

The patch of grass in question was dead as if a poisonous substance had been poured on it. Reno just shrugged in indifference. "Could be a dog's favorite spot to pee."

Zack shot him a glare and was about to open his mouth when Angeal cut him off, "No, if you look closely, there's a faint glow. It could only be one thing."

Zack's eyes widened a bit at the realization. "Mako."

Angeal nodded.

"I don't get it," replied Reno.

"It means we're on the right track. When a cadet first makes it into SOLDIER, they are given small amounts of mako to see what kind of reaction they'll have. Most are fine, but some can have very negative reactions to it. In the most severe cases, they suffer from what we call mako poisoning."

"How bad is that?" asked Rude who was now standing beside Reno. It was Zack who answered.

"Think of it as having a real bad case of the flu. Your body does whatever it can to fight it off, but with mako it's a hundred times worse. I've heard cases where a person's eyes would glow a real bright, eerie green-ish blue, their vomit glows, sometimes they go completely comatose."

Angeal nodded as he stood up. "I think we can assume the cadet is suffering from a bad reaction, judging by this evidence. This is good news for us."

Reno smirked. "Because the kid'll be weaker?"

"Because it means that they will be traveling slowly and resting often. I know Sephiroth, he is merciless in battle, but he wouldn't let one of his SOLDIERs die on his watch. Zack can vouch for that."

Zack smiled at the memory. "Yeah, I remember how much I annoyed him too. A few times I thought he was gonna slice off my tongue just to shut me up."

"Come on," Angeal motioned as he headed for the tree line. "We're wasting time."

The group followed him into the forests. Reno was complaining about running through the woods. He was a city kid, not a country boy. Leave all this nature stuff to someone else.


End file.
